Jefferson County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Broomfield, Colorado 80020
Sunday, June 14, 1987 11:36 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG TAKEOFF, THE BAGGAGE DOOR (BD) CAME OPEN. TWR PSNL ADVISED THE PLT, BUT RECD NO DISCERNIBLE REPLY. AT APRX 100' AGL,THE ACFT PITCHED UP & ROLLED LEFT, THEN ENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & CRASHED APRX 500' LEFT OF THE RWY. EXCEPT FOR THE BD, NOPREIMPACT MECH PRBLM WAS FND. THE BD WAS FND SEPD FM THE FUSELAGE WITH THE EXTERNAL LEVER (EXT LVR) SEATED & LOCKED, BUTTHE INTERNAL LEVER (INT LVR) WAS DISPLACED TWD THE OPEN PSN & THE PROTECTIVE COVER (CVR) FOR THE INT LVR WAS FND INSIDE THE ACFT. ALSO, THE INT LVR LOCK KNOB WAS MISSING 2 OF 4 LOCKING EARS. NORMALLY, THE BD IS TO BE OPENED & CLOSED BY USING THE EXT LVR & THE INT LVR IS INTENDED TO BE ACTUATED ONLY WHEN THE BD IS USED AS AN AUX (EMERGENCY) EXIT. HOWEVER,WITH THE CVR OFF, THE INT LVR WAS VULNERABLE TO POSSIBLE MOVEMENT BY UNWARRANTED PAX ACTIVITY, INTERFERENCE WITH REAR SHOULDER HARNESS, OR INADVERTENT CONTACT WITH BAGGAGE OR RECLINING REAR SEAT. THE FLT MANUAL DOES NOT ADDRESS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BD COMING OPEN IN FLT. ALSO, THE INT LVR IS NOT LISTED AS AN ITEM ON THE PREFLT CHECKLIST.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/14/1987
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1136
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City BROOMFIELD
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80020
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JEFFERSON COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BJC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 5580
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1129 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 110
Weather Observation Facility ID BJC
Elevation of weather observation facility 5580
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 8077
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 906
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 14 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1136
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34202
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4047H
NTSB Number DEN87FA148
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20K
Aircraft Series Identifier M20K
Aircraft Serial Number 25-0458
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection May 29 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15
Airframe Hours 1164
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name VIT FLYERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2003 S. LAMAR
Aircraft Owner City AUSTIN
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 78704
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code BJC
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1136
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code BJC
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 29R
Runway Length 9000
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --